South Africa Case Law

Astron Energy (Pty) Limited v Vitol Emerald Bidco (Pty) Ltd and Others (LM196Mar23/INT123Nov23; LM196Mar23CNF135Nov23)

Astron Energy (Pty) Limited v Vitol Emerald Bidco (Pty) Ltd and Others (LM196Mar23/INT123Nov23; LM196Mar23CNF135Nov23) [2024] ZACT 3 (15 January 2024)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

LM196Mar23/INT123Nov23

Judges

M Mazwai, AW Wessels, L Mncube

The Competition Tribunal granted Astron Energy leave to intervene in the Engen/Vitol merger proceedings, limited to specified foreclosure, employment, and merger-condition issues.

• Intervention Rights
• Customer Foreclosure
• Input Foreclosure
• Confidentiality In Merger Proceedings
• Employment Impact
• Merger Conditions

Thabong Coal (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission of South Africa (LM144Jan20; VAR197Mar23)

Thabong Coal (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission of South Africa (LM144Jan20; VAR197Mar23) [2023] ZACT 51 (31 March 2023)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

LM144Jan20/VAR197Mar23

Judges

AW Wessels, M Mazwai, S Goga

The Competition Tribunal granted an unopposed variation of merger conditions, transferring certain obligations from Thabong Coal to Seriti Resources upon share transfer.

• Merger Conditions
• Variation Of Order
• Transfer Of Obligations
• Competition-law
• Merger-conditions
• Variation-of-order

Competition Commission v Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Pty) Ltd (194/CAC//Oct21)

Competition Commission v Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Pty) Ltd (194/CAC//Oct21) [2022] ZACAC 4; (2022) 43 ILJ 1971 (CAC); [2022] 2 CPLR 22 (CAC) (17 June 2022)

Court

Competition Appeal Court

Case number

194/CAC/Oct21

Judges

Siwendu, Victor, Nkosi

The Competition Appeal Court held that the Tribunal erred in its interpretation of section 27(1)(c) and Rule 39(2)(b), which confer ordinary review powers, not a special or hybrid review akin to an appeal. The correct review standard is lawfulness, reasonableness, and procedural fairness. The Tribunal further erred by misallocating the evidentiary burden, which rests on the merging party (CCBA) to prove substantial compliance with merger conditions. The Court endorsed the objective test for merger specificity from BB Investment, requiring a nexus between retrenchments and the incentives of th…

Source excerpt

• Merger Conditions
• Merger Specific Retrenchment
• Substantial Compliance
• Review Standard
• Public Interest Assessment
• Burden Of Proof

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission of South Africa and Another (RVW150May20)

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission of South Africa and Another (RVW150May20) [2021] ZACT 101 (18 August 2021)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

RVW150May20

Judges

Y Carrim, A Ndoni, H Cheadle

The Tribunal set aside a Notice of Apparent Breach and held that CCBA substantially complied with merger conditions after retrenchments linked to operational pressures.

• Merger Conditions
• Retrenchment
• Operational Requirements
• Harmonisation Of Employment Terms
• Public Interest Employment
• Review Of Administrative Action

South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union and Others v Massmart Holdings Limited and Another (111/CAC/Jun11)

South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union and Others v Massmart Holdings Limited and Another (111/CAC/Jun11) [2020] ZACAC 2; [2020] 10 BLLR 1041 (CAC); (2020) 41 ILJ 2403 (CAC); [2020] 2 CPLR 564 (CAC) (7 July 2020)

Court

Competition Appeal Court

Case number

111/CAC/Jun11

Judges

Mnguni, Rogers, Mabindla-Boqwana

The Competition Appeal Court held that its 2012 merger condition requiring reinstatement of 503 employees was not retrospective and did not include back pay.

• Merger Conditions
• Reinstatement
• Back Pay
• Functus Officio
• Interpretation Of Orders
• Competition-law

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (Pty) Ltd v Anhauser-Bush Inbev SA/NV and Others (URG164Mar20)

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (Pty) Ltd v Anhauser-Bush Inbev SA/NV and Others (URG164Mar20) [2020] ZACT 91; [2020] HIPR 140 (CT) (31 March 2020)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

URG164Mar20

Judges

Y Carrim, M Mazwai, A Ndoni

The Tribunal granted urgent interim relief preserving R52 million in Zenzele top-up benefits for former SABMiller employees pending a Competition Commission investigation.

• Merger Conditions
• Interim Relief
• Employee Share Schemes
• Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment
• Trust Deed Interpretation
• Competition-law

Distell Limited v Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA-NV and Another (LM211Jan16/OTH172Sep18)

Distell Limited v Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA-NV and Another (LM211Jan16/OTH172Sep18) [2020] ZACT 7 (17 February 2020)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

LM211Jan16/OTH172Sep18

Judges

Yasmin Carrim, Thando Vilakazi, Imraan Valodia

The Tribunal held that “ambient space” in merger conditions meant product storage/display space, not branding space, but treated stadia as outlets for Rule 39 review.

• Merger Conditions
• Exclusive Pouring Rights
• Definition Of Outlet
• Review Of Administrative Decision
• Rule 39 Proceedings
• Merger-conditions

Amec Foster Wheeler SA (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission (VAR252MAR16)

Amec Foster Wheeler SA (Pty) Ltd v Competition Commission (VAR252MAR16) [2016] ZACT 59; [2016] 2 CPLR 897 (CT) (13 July 2016)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

VAR252Mar16

Judges

Norman Manoim, Andreas Wessels, Mondo Mazwai

The Competition Tribunal allowed a merger-condition variation, directing the Commission to issue amended retrenchment conditions after changed market conditions.

• Merger Conditions
• Variation Of Conditions
• Intermediate Merger
• Jurisdiction Of Competition Authorities
• Merger-conditions
• Variation-of-conditions

Fidelity Cash Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Others v Competition Commission, In re: Fidelity Cash Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Another v Protea Coin Group ( Assets in Transit And Armed Reaction) (Pty) Ltd (020545)

Fidelity Cash Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Others v Competition Commission, In re: Fidelity Cash Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Another v Protea Coin Group ( Assets in Transit And Armed Reaction) (Pty) Ltd (020545) [2015] ZACT 53; [2015] 1 CPLR 204 (CT) (27 May 2015)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

020545

Judges

Yasmin Carrim, Andreas Wessels, Anton Roskam

The Tribunal conditionally approved an intermediate merger, imposing behavioural and employment safeguards to address coordination risks and substantial retrenchment concerns.

• Intermediate Merger Review
• Coordinated Effects
• Public Interest Employment
• Shareholding Structure
• Merger Conditions
• Intermediate-merger-review

Sibanye Gold Limited v Competition Commission of South Africa (020453)

Sibanye Gold Limited v Competition Commission of South Africa (020453) [2015] ZACT 141 (17 April 2015)

Court

Competition Tribunal

Case number

020453

Judges

Anton Roskam, Mondo Mazwai, Prof Fiona Tregenna

The Tribunal set aside a Competition Commission Notice of Apparent Breach because Rule 39 requires an actual breach, not merely an imminent one.

• Merger Conditions
• Review Of Administrative Action
• Retrenchment
• Notice Of Apparent Breach
• Competition-law
• Merger-conditions